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OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAIIWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963
The administration of the Offices, Shops and RailwayPremises
Act, 1963 was referred by the Council to the Health
Committee.
General Scope of the Act
Provided that people are employed to work in the premises,
the Act applies generally to all offices and shops, including
catering establishments open to the public, wholesale establishments,
and fuel storage premises; and to most railway buildings
near the permanent way.
The Act not only applies to rooms in shops and offices in
which people work, but covers other parts of the premises occupied
together with a shop or office for the purpose of the activities
carried on there. Thus stairs, passages, landings, storerooms,
entrances, exits and yards may be covered. Generally the Act
also applies to parts of the buildings which are used by employees,
such as lifts, stairways and halls, even if these 'common' parts
are not included within the lease of the occupier of the premises
to which the Act applies.
While the Act has extensive coverage, certain kinds of
premises, which might otherwise be within its scope are excluded.
These are:-
(1) Premises where only self-employed persons work. (To
be within the scope of the Act there must be at least
one person employed to work in the premises under a
contract of service or apprenticeship. Such a contract
may be written or oral, express or implied.)
(2) Businesses where the only people employed are any of
the following immediate relatives of the employer
husband, wife, parent, grandparent, son, daughter,
grandchild, brother or sister. (This exclusion,
however, does not apply if 'the employer is a limited
company). If any other person is employed to work
in the premises the business' is covered by the Act.
(3) Outworkers premises.
(4) Premises where the sum of hours worked by all the
employees is normally not more than 21 each week.
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